When It Is Time To Let An Employee Go!

Whether on the tour bus or in the boardroom, sometimes, you’ve chosen a “bandmate” who doesn’t quite fit, or is growing at the same rate as the rest of the band members. Consider how many amazing musicians get fired from their bands. It’s not often due to a lack of talent or an inability to perform under pressure – if that were the case, they wouldn’t have been hired in the first place.

 

No, musicians get fired because of personality clashes, creative differences, and a lack of professionalism. Consider Ozzy Osbourne – yeah, that Ozzy Osbourne. He was fired from Black Sabbath after his drug use became problematic and interfered with his ability to function, never mind perform. Steve Adler, the original drummer for Guns N’ Roses, was asked to get clean and stay on tour but ultimately failed and was booted from the band. Vince Neil of Motley Crue got fired after the band struggled to agree on a musical direction. Nick Oliveri, bassist for Queens of the Stone Age, was dismissed after being rude and unruly towards the group’s fans.

 

In the business world, employees get let go for some of the same reasons. Sure, the head of your accounting department may not trash a green room in a drug-fueled rage, but they may show a lack of commitment and professionalism in other ways. The trick is looking past your employees’ good qualities to determine when it’s in the best interest of your company to let someone go.

 

When is it Time to Fire an Employee?

 

Sometimes, it’s pretty obvious when someone needs to go. If their performance is poor and they aren’t meeting expectations, it’s easy to show them the door. But what about when they are still doing their job? Here are a few signs that it’s time to say goodbye.

 

They’re apathetic

 

Apathy has become a disease, and it’s running rampant. Apathy can be seen in the vacant eyes and the zombie-like shuffle. If your employee doesn’t care about doing what’s best for the company or its customers, it’s time to let them go.

 

They’re “poisoning the well”

 

Your employee is dissatisfied about something, and rather than bring it to your attention, they choose to let everyone else know. Their negativity is spreading and bringing down the morale of everyone in your organization. When one employee is destroying your entire culture, it’s time to let them go.

 

They’re “stirring the pot”

 

Drama, drama, drama. This employee lives by the water cooler. They know all the gossip, and they’re spreading rumors and creating turmoil everywhere they go. Forging discord is their entertainment. When your employee only thrives around drama, it’s time to let them go.

 

They don’t respect coworkers, managers, or customers

 

Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. An employee treating others improperly creates an uncomfortable, unsafe, and sometimes downright toxic workplace. This isn’t good for your employees’ well-being, and it’s not good for your company’s legal and financial safety. Suppose you know an employee is bullying, sexually harassing, or mistreating their coworkers, bosses, subordinates, or customers, and you don’t take immediate action. In that case, you have a huge problem on your hands. When an employee doesn’t show respect for others, it’s time to let them go.

 

No matter how talented a rockstar is, there are certain behaviors that the band will never tolerate. The same goes for your organization. If an employee is apathetic, destroying your culture, creating drama, or disrespecting others, it’s time to let them go. In my keynote presentation Opportunity Rocks one of my 4 Chords of Rock Star Success speaks on that topic. You must always do what’s best for the band, do what’s best for the team. Even if they are an A List player.  For more rockstar leadership tips, or if your organization would like to explore the possibility of a highly engaging, energizing, educating, keynote experience “That Rocks” let’s have a conversation. Visit www.marvellessmark.com.

sales team meeting

11 Motivational Sales Meetings Ideas That Rock

Sales meetings are important for your teams, yet your salespeople usually dread them. Why? Because when meetings are bland, redundant, and unfocused, your team will resent them (and you). After all, they’d rather be out selling than sitting around a conference table and they can’t wait to get out of that room.

Now imagine a sales meeting that has your team so fired up, they can’t wait to get out of the room… for a very different reason. They’re not bored. On the contrary, they are excited to put what you’ve taught them into practice and blow their goals out of the water. 

Doesn’t that sound better? 

There’s an art to hosting successful sales meetings that your team members will look forward to. You’ll need to be concise, look to the future rather than rehashing the past, and most importantly, you need to provide value. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your team’s time. 

How do you create a sales meeting that rocks? Read on for some tips to make your meetings unforgettable (in a good way). 

Want to electrify your sales team during your next event?
Contact Marvelless Mark for an experiential motivational speaker!

How Do You Have a Successful Sales Meeting?

There are some specific rules you should follow to ensure that your sales meetings are as productive as possible. 

Identify the purpose

Before you schedule a meeting and plan the agenda, figure out what you want to accomplish with this time. Are you teaching your employees something new? Brainstorming new ideas for a product launch? Perhaps you’re congratulating your team on a job well done and motivating them to reach new heights. No matter what your intention is, make sure that you have a clear goal in mind for the time you’ll spend together. 

Determine if you actually need a meeting

You’d think this goes without saying, but in many offices, meetings are something you have because you “should” have them, not because you actually “need” one. Before calling a meeting, figure out if you actually need to interrupt everyone’s day or if this is something that could be handled with a quick email or a walk-over to one or two specific employees’ offices.

Create an agenda and send it out ahead of time

If employees have the opportunity to review an agenda before stepping into the meeting room, they’ll be able to prepare whatever information they need and any questions they might have. Additionally, they’ll understand the flow of the meeting and what will be covered and will also know how long to block out of their day.

Provide educational or motivational value

Even if your meeting isn’t specifically focused on education, you’ll want to provide something that will help them increase their sales. That way, even if you do have to cover something that perhaps doesn’t pertain to everyone in the room, they’ll still walk away feeling as if they’ve learned something that will make them better at their jobs.

Make it interactive

No one wants to be lectured to. Create a format for your meetings that encourages participation from everyone in the room and gives them the opportunity to voice their questions, concerns, and ideas. Keep in mind that when you do this, you’ll also need a way to get people back on track if they start to derail the meeting. Consider a “Parking Lot” where you can write down ideas that need to be revisited at another time or place. That way, employees feel heard yet you don’t lose control of your meeting.

Related: The Best Sales Kickoff Ever in 9 Steps

 

How Do You Motivate Your Sales Team in a Meeting?

If you’re looking to motivate your sales team during meetings, there are a few aspects you should include (or exclude) each time you meet.

Introductions

There’s a good chance that your team has been working together for a while, however, if a new person happens to join the crew, you’ll need to allow for short introductions. Give each person 20-30 seconds to say their name and something interesting about themselves like “if you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?”

A quick recap of how they’re doing

Emphasis on the “quick.” If the team is doing well, celebrate the win. If the team could be doing better, identify where the challenges are and find a way to support them toward their goals. Always keep it positive, no matter how they’re doing. Screaming at your team and threatening their jobs is not a motivational technique and it will just end with them losing respect for you.

Create space for team members to provide positive feedback to one another

While it’s great for you to tell your salespeople how they’re doing, getting a “thank you” from their fellow employees will go a long way to motivating them. Perhaps they helped out another salesperson with a deal or provided support in some way. Give them time to share. 

If there is a weak link, talk to them outside of the meeting

As you review your goals during the month, you may identify one or two employees that are really struggling to meet their goals. Rather than calling them out in the meeting and embarrassing them, speak to them privately and arrange for a more successful salesperson to act as a mentor. 

11 Motivational Sales Meetings Ideas to Fire Up Your Team

Once you’ve gathered your team together, created a structure, and identified your reason for holding the meeting, how do you keep their attention and motivate them to be the sales rockstars you know they are capable of?

1. Make it about them

Yes, ultimately your salespeople work for you and should have the best interests of the company at heart. However, if you don’t give them a reason to care about the company and the products, they won’t be motivated and they won’t be loyal. 

2. Address common objections they face

Chances are, your salespeople all hear similar objections as they go through their sales days. Brainstorm a way to overcome these objections with their sales pitch or identify if there really is a challenge with the product that needs to be addressed.

3. Provide training for new products

When a new product or service is released, make sure that your salespeople have the knowledge and experience necessary to sell it. Provide demos, allow them to test out the product for themselves, and teach them all of the features so they aren’t left staring like a deer in headlights when potential customers have questions.

4. Teach new skills

Perhaps the product has changed and your salespeople may need a refresher course on the basics of selling. Or perhaps there’s a new technique that you can show them to improve their closing rate.

5. Answer questions

Keep an open floor for salespeople to ask questions about products, commissions, challenges, etc. 

6. Share best practices

You may not have all the answers, but other people in the room might. Ask the more successful salespeople to share their best practices and what they’ve done to get where they are.

7. Identify their differentiating factor

What makes your product different than others on the market? What about your company? What about your salespeople? Help each employee figure out what it is that makes them different so they can stand out above the crowd. 

8. Create your ideal customer avatars

Perhaps you have one specific “ideal customer” for all of your products and your people, or maybe they would each resonate with a different type of customer. Find out who your employees would like to target with their sales and help them clarify how and where to find them.

9. Identify roadblocks and uncover solutions

Once again, the answers to improving your sales may be in the room. Allow salespeople to voice their concerns and brainstorm solutions with the group.

10. Provide customer feedback

Good or bad, testimonials and reviews can provide a font of information for your team members. Read them aloud and congratulate employees when it’s appropriate. When it’s not, see the complaint as an opportunity to improve.

11. End the meeting with positivity

Even if your team isn’t producing the way you hoped, leave the meeting on a high note. If they exit the room with their tails between their legs, they won’t be motivated to do better. If you give your sales team hope and leave them excited, their performance will likely improve. 

Sales meetings are incredibly important, but be careful about falling into a meeting rut that has your employees nodding off in their chairs. Make your meetings purposeful, succinct, and valuable for employees and you’ll inspire their inner sales rockstars!

Be More than a One Hit Wonder

I bet you are familiar with the term “One Hit Wonder.” It refers to a band or artist who has one hugely popular song and then fades into obscurity. You might hear that song on the classic rock station for years, but somehow they never manage to hit the charts again. The first success is nice, for sure (and it’s better than never having your 15 minutes of fame at all), but it certainly isn’t what anyone dreams about doing with their lives or their gifts. Everyone wants to hit the charts again and again.

You don’t want to be a One Hit Wonder in your life or career, either. Who wants to fizzle out after one early success and then spend years wondering why they couldn’t repeat it? So let’s think for a moment about the difference between a One Hit Wonder and a genuine Rock Star.

  1. Both have talent.
  2. Both put effort and determination into reaching a certain goal.
  3. Both attract attention for producing something—in this case, a song—that people appreciate.

Rock ‘n’ roll is an attitude; it’s not a musical form of a strict sort. It’s a way of doing things, of approaching things. Writing can be rock ‘n’ roll, or a movie can be rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a way of living your life.
~ Lester Bangs

 

The One Hit Wonder and the Rock Star got to that first level of success by doing the same thing: creating a song that everyone can identify with, and performing it well. The difference is that rock stars do this continually over time. That’s how they develop the fan base that sustains them.

A One Hit Wonder can’t sustain that effort. He doesn’t keep that connection to audiences. He doesn’t change or grow enough to stay fresh. A true rock star has momentum. She keeps high standards for her work and she pushes herself to keep growing. The key to building that momentum is our A chord. It’s all about ATTITUDE

5 Ways To Incorporate Fun Into Remote Work Places

Employees that play together, stay together.
So far, you’ve learned about the importance of incorporating play and fun into the workday, and into meetings (add links). But what do you do if your team never came back to the office after COVID? Many companies opted to remain remote, forgoing traditional offices and allowing employees to work from anywhere with a strong internet connection. This is wonderfully convenient and saves tons of money in rent, but at what cost to the relationships within your organization?
Quarantine forced us to get creative, and you can continue that spirit by using imaginative ways to incorporate fun and encourage camaraderie among your employees.

How to Incorporate Fun When Your Employees Work Remotely
1. Organize in-person meetups. If you’ve got a pocket of employees in an area, organize an outing for them. From dinner to escape rooms, or axe-throwing to guided art projects, mix it up so there’s something for everyone. And remember, some of your employees may choose not to drink alcohol. Happy hours can be nice every once in a while, but you’d be better off finding something that everyone can enjoy.
2. Encourage volunteering and then schedule a debrief. If your employees are centrally located, you can set up a group volunteer day with a local nonprofit. However, if your employees are in different cities and time zones, allow them to volunteer on their own and then set up a virtual chat to discuss the experience and get others excited about their cause.
3. Host a game night. There are more virtual games than ever and getting your team together for a fun, no-shop-talk evening, can help foster teamwork and allow employees to get to know one another on a different level.
4. Play Show and Tell. Turn your Monday morning meeting into an opportunity for employees to share their lives with one another, rather than hosting a traditional “rah-rah” sales meeting. Learn about their families, their hobbies, their travel, their hopes, and their dreams.
5. Encourage “coffee dates” where employees can get to know each other either virtually or in-person on a more personal level.
Finally, pay. I know it’s kind of a blanket statement, but hear me out. You can’t expect people to hang out with coworkers without incentive. If you are hosting a meetup, cover the cost of the activity. If your employees are meeting for in-person coffee, pick up the tab. If they are getting together virtually, provide gift cards or send them specialty coffee beans so they can prepare their own beverage. If you’re going to volunteer route, give them paid time off to work a shift or two at their nonprofit of choice. The more you support their out-of-office activity, the more eager they’ll be to participate.
It’s time to turn up the fun and foster rockstar creativity within in your organization. For more tips on teambuilding and leadership, visit https://wordpress-423897-3758083.cloudwaysapps.com/.

How To Harness Your Ego!


The Danger of Ego in Leadership is many think being a leader makes them feel like an absolute rockstar. Special treatment (the corner office, a flexible schedule, maybe even a limo to take you wherever you need to go), fame, respect, and adoration, and the power to influence many… can be exciting. But, unfortunately, for many, it breeds a humongous ego.

The Dangers of an Inflated Ego in Leadership

While a small amount of ego can be healthy and give you the confidence to strive to do your best, if it gets out of control, the following can occur:

• Confirmation Bias: You only see what will confirm your existing beliefs and filter out anything that could potentially contradict them.
• Inappropriate Behavior: When we believe we are the end-all-be-all, we tend to engage in unacceptable behaviors like crossing boundary lines and taking advantage of the people around us. Or, you are rude, nasty, and unpleasant to work for.
• Ignore Criticism: An inflated ego believes that no one has the right or the knowledge to give constructive criticism. If you don’t consider feedback, you’re unable to grow.+

“I think people, especially young people, should know that ego can be just as dangerous as any drug.” – Stevie Nicks

The Benefits of Keeping Your Ego in Check

The Beatles was technically not John Lennon’s first band. He started as the front man of The Quarrymen (which would later evolve into the Beatles). When Paul McCartney entered the picture, Lennon knew that McCartney would improve the band significantly and give them the opportunity and real success. However, if he accepted McCartney into the band, he would no longer be the star of the show. Thankfully for the world, John Lennon opted for what was best for the team, even if it meant taking a hit to his ego.
Great leaders keep their egos under control and:

• Do what’s right for the group rather than what’s best for themselves.
• Dole out praise amongst the team. Success is not only the leaders but belongs to everyone involved. On the other hand, a good leader doesn’t point fingers when something goes wrong. They take responsibility and make it better.
• Hire quality people who speak up with ideas and opinions (even when they contradict yours).
• Treat others equally and fairly. You may have the big office and the reserved parking spot, but every one of your employees is a valuable asset. They are just as important to make your band rock.

Great leaders who inspire rockstar results in themselves, and their employees are humble. Ego will only get you so far, and when it comes to being a great leader, the less ego, the better. For more rockstar tips, visit https://wordpress-423897-3758083.cloudwaysapps.com/.

Using Music To Engage Your Teams & Lower Turnover

No matter what your industry, your foremost priority must be the well-being of your employees. Your bandmates.  Your employees are the backbone of your organization. Without them, products won’t get made, services won’t be rendered, and customers won’t be taken care of. Unfortunately, we live in a high-stress time, and even if the job itself isn’t stressing out your employees, something probably is.

As nice as it would be, employees don’t leave their personal lives at the door. And, as their stress level gets higher,(especially in today’s world) you’re likely to see increased absenteeism, low productivity, poor performance, decreased morale, and eventually, high turnover.

What’s an employer to do?

Well, my rockstar leader friends, the solution can be found in music. If you’ve ever popped earbuds in, thrown on your favorite tunes, and found yourself squarely in “the zone,” you know this to be true.

The Benefits of Music in the Workplace

“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” – Billy Joel

There is a certain peace that comes from being comfortable in your environment. If your employees are back in an office or brick-and-mortar setting, consider incorporating music into their day. Music has been proven to improve our lives in multiple ways. The benefits include:

Physiological Benefits – Music has the ability to lower heart rate and blood pressure. It can also decrease adrenaline levels in the body. Music therapy has even been used to reduce the need for analgesic medication for chronic and acute pain.

Psychological Benefits – According to a study published in Trends in Cognitive Science, music works better to lower stress and anxiety than anti-anxiety medication. (And there’s no copay!)

Cognitive Benefits – Music helps people concentrate longer, perform better, and makes repetitive tasks more pleasant to complete.

Social Benefits – While listening to music can boost morale and teamwork, playing music together is even better at creating a cohesive team. A study published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior found that happy music provokes people to make decisions that contribute to the good of the team.

This does bring up a good question. When it comes to the benefits of music in the workplace, is all music created equal?

Not really. There are certain factors that need to be addressed when choosing music to set the mood. For example, do employees have to focus on tasks like writing, math, coding, or other concentration-intensive projects? If so, instrumental music without lyrics is probably best. Do they need to get energized and inspired? Rock out, man! (This is why I bring drumsticks when I speak to audiences.) Are there several people listening to one sound system? This could be problematic as what relaxes some, may infuriate others. Keep this in mind when incorporating music into your workplace.

Finding the perfect music can take your employees from stressed out to blissed out. To learn more about the power of music to turn your employees into rockstars, visit https://wordpress-423897-3758083.cloudwaysapps.com/.

“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” – Bob Marley

Failure Is Our Friend!

“You build on failure. Use it as a stepping stone and close the door on the past. Don’t try to forget the mistakes, but don’t dwell on it.” – Johnny Cash

At some point, whether in school or on the job, we were taught that failure is bad. Many of us were led to believe that if we don’t achieve our goal, it’s time to throw in the towel and find a new (more realistic) goal. We carry that with us into our careers and our businesses. We avoid putting ourselves out there because… what if we fail?

Truthfully, playing it safe doesn’t do anyone any good. Our world doesn’t need any more people who avoid taking chances. Our world needs rock stars (in every industry), who push limits, invent new things, and spread new ideas. Will every step be a success? No. But failure is our friend. Failure is feedback.

Failure Strengthens Compassion

As humans, it’s pretty easy to judge others. When you haven’t been in someone’s shoes, it’s difficult to understand why they do what they do, say what they say, and feel the way they feel. When you’ve failed at something, when you’ve attempted something and fallen flat on your face, it becomes a lot easier to have compassion and even empathy for others.

The great thing? Being honest and vulnerable about your failures allows others to have more compassion and empathy for you! First, be honest with yourself and then with others.

Failure Leads to Innovation

When faced with a setback or a failure, some people will give up. They’ll convince themselves they just don’t have what it takes and retreat back to a safe space. Others (those who eventually succeed) will go back to the drawing board. They’ll look at what they did and what came of it, then they’ll tweak their process, invent a new product, or look for new ways to achieve their goal. They innovate and eventually hit their desired mark. Use failure as your GPS.

Think this only happens in the business world? Think again. Lady Gaga, an 8+ time Grammy winner, only got into singing because her acting career wasn’t taking off. After being turned down time and time again, she began her music career and became the star we know and love today. But she didn’t stop there. She got her break in acting and is now an award-winning musician AND actress!

Failure Builds Resilience

When you face failure, you have the opportunity to stand up, dust yourself off, and keep going. Resilience is a muscle, and the more you put yourself out into the world, the stronger you become. You develop the coping mechanisms necessary to deal with the challenges and learn to keep going after your dreams, no matter how many times you fall.

Jimi Hendrix was booed off stage when he opened for the Monkees. Elvis was kicked out of the Grand Ole Opry. Madonna’s first band was dropped by their record label. Imagine if they hadn’t been resilient and kept at their dreams.

It’s time to make friends with failure. Use it as feedback and then that feedback becomes your GPS. Instead of looking at failure as a bad thing, look at it as the first step along the journey to success. Fail fast. Fail often. Fail Forward. Learn from your mistakes, and before you know it, you’ll reach your goals. For more rock star tips on celebrating when you fail, visit https://www.marvellessmark.com/.

Satisfaction: 3 Mindset Shifts for Happier Employees

“I can’t get no satisfaction.”

While the Rolling Stones were talking about commercialism (among other things – ahem, ahem), with their 1965 hit, their message strikes a chord today regarding employees in the workforce. The “Great Resignation” is beginning to slow, but the desire for more than a paycheck continues.

As a leader, you’re probably wondering if your employees are truly happy or if they may be dreaming of (or actively searching for) a new band or larger stage. When it comes to employee satisfaction, monetary compensation is important. However, a shift in your mindset is also essential. Here’s how to do it.

A focus on physical and mental health

Good insurance, a benefits package that includes gym membership, and offering healthy food (if you’ve got a physical office) are wonderful… but they’re not everything. If your employees are stressed, overworked, and unsuccessfully using their days off each week to catch up on sleep and allow their nervous systems to return to some semblance of normal, their mental health will suffer. It’s important to provide vacations (and encourage employees to take them) and ensure that employees have a strong support system within the organization, but what if there was more you could do?

Reframe: “Efficiency” may seem like a term that leads to layoffs, but what if we looked at it differently? What if you streamlined processes and created less work, allowing your employee’s downtime to relax and be creative? It’s called rest and recovery. All successful business rock stars do this frequently.

Investment in training and development

Whether you are better training them for their current role or helping them attain new skills for a role they hope to get in the future, professional (and personal) development is essential to today’s workers. Gauge their interest regarding their desired career path and provide opportunities for them to learn and grow.  You can even bring in a fun and entertaining guest rock n roll speaker from time to time.

Reframe: While some managers may be afraid to empower their employees (lest they leave), a true rock star leader knows that helping employees grow fosters loyalty and attracts talent to your organization.

Fostering an environment with good communication  

Change is inevitable within any organization. As you grow, policies, procedures, products or services, staff, tools, and even the company’s mission may evolve. While employees don’t need to be notified regarding every tiny decision, it’s important that they be kept in the loop regarding the big shifts. Full transparency is always a great option.

Reframe: It’s tempting to keep employees in the dark when it comes to a challenge your organization is facing. While you might want to appear strong and in control by staying quiet, you might be missing out on a font of wisdom from inside your organization. Be open about what’s happening and then provide a way for employees to contribute and be a part of the solution.

Ensuring the happiness of your employees comes down to more than just a raise and occasional pizza parties. Sometimes, you need to reexamine and shift your own mindset regarding leadership. When you do, satisfaction is just around the corner. Start turning your employees into rock stars that can’t wait to get on stage and start out performing everyone. It’s not Rocket Science, It’s ROCK-IT Science.

www.marvellessmark.com

Always Play Like A Rockstar

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the closed doors of a jam session?
Musicians know that creativity, ingenuity, and “out-of-the-box” thinking rarely happen during
regimented work time. Instead, they happen when we allow ourselves to let our proverbial hair (or
actual hair if you’re a rock star) down, have fun… play.
The same is true for your business. Sure, there are times when employees need to be serious, put their
heads down, and focus entirely on the task at hand. However, you’ll never reach the level of success
you’re hoping for without sufficient playtime.
Why is Play Important for Employees?
There are so many ways play can positively impact your team. Such as:
? Play relieves stress and anxiety by improving coping skills and keeping us focused in the moment
? Play builds better relationships that can foster teamwork
? Play enhances work performance and job satisfaction
? Play boosts creativity and encourages innovation

 

 

 

 

 

Play may be the panacea for everything that ails you!
How to Incorporate Play into your Business
1. Provide time and space to unwind
When employees are actively “working” 100% of the time, it’s difficult for their brains to switch to
creative mode. If your employees are customer-facing, give them time away from their desks or
stations. If they do office work primarily, make sure they have time to step away from the computer and
daydream. Have a relaxing space (that isn’t a flickering fluorescent-drenched lunchroom) where they
can kick back, talk to other employees, and get their creative juices flowing.
2. Gamify projects
Humans are hardwired to appreciate regular, positive reinforcement. Create a “game” culture where
employees can compete against not just coworkers but themselves, earn rewards for achieving the next
“level,” and work together to not only be productive but have fun. You can create games for everything
from reaching sales goals to remembering to recycle.
3. Create an environment that encourages collaboration
If your office is still wall-to-wall cubicles, it’s time to redecorate! While employees can have fun on their
own, a true culture of play requires that employees interact with one another, develop relationships,
and brainstorm. Unless privacy is essential for the type of work you do, (though I’d question how much
privacy three fake walls actually provide), it’s time to open up your office to open up minds.
4. Be silly
No one can (or should) be serious all the time. Brent Smith of Shinedown says, “I live by the adage: don’t
take yourself so seriously all the time. There are 24 hours in a day, so find the moment to lighten up.”

Tapping into your inner child helps keep employees engaged and happy. Consider Zappos, who would
have weekly parades through the office where employees could dress up, make hats and accessories,
and play fake (or real) instruments. Customers, vendors, and employees didn’t judge the company for
these “frivolous” activities. On the contrary, people flocked to take tours of the business and learn about
their culture.
Play isn’t just for kids and musicians. If you want to turn your employees into rockstars, include an
element of play in their work day. For more tips on leadership and teamwork, visit
https://wordpress-423897-3758083.cloudwaysapps.com/

“All you need is love.” How To Increase Productivity And Stop Quiet Quitting

It turns out, The Beatles knew a thing or two about business.

No, we’re not talking about inappropriate workplace romance that becomes fodder for the watercooler circuit. We’re talking about the most important of human states, a state from which all positive emotions flow.

When humans allow themselves to see one another as friends instead of foes, amazing things can happen… even in the office. Let’s look at three ways love can help your business and how to make them work for you.

Love Leads to Higher Job Satisfaction

Creating a culture of caring means your employees are vested in one another’s well-being. Team members want to support one another, see one another succeed, and have each other’s backs when someone is going through a difficult time.

Rather than pitting your employees against one another, promote affection and compassion towards one another and encourage teamwork.

Love is Caring, and Caring Means Better Performance

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but when people care about what they are doing and the population they are helping, they do a better job. Imagine that your company makes widgets for new mothers. You’ve got employees whose job is so specific and detailed that they lose sight (if they ever had it at all) of how their role plays into the end result. These employees may get bored, distracted, and even resentful that they aren’t making a difference in the world.

Now imagine that you create an open-house day where the end users of these widgets (exhausted, overwhelmed mommas) come to meet the employees. Receiving gratitude from the moms, and seeing how their work is making a difference, your employees will have a renewed spirit and a desire to work even harder.

Consider how to connect your employees with the people (or animals) they serve and watch their productivity and performance skyrocket.

Love Helps you Bounce Back

Challenges happen. Whether your employees are faced with difficulties at home (divorce, illness, or death of a loved one, etc.) or at work (being demoted, having to take a pay cut, struggling to complete their work, etc.), they are going to need support. For years, researchers have known that a strong social network helps individuals recover from setbacks faster and more easily. Since we spend at least a third of our lives at work, it would make sense that having a support network among coworkers and management would improve our resilience and make overcoming obstacles easier.

Encourage employees to reach out to management or their peers when something challenging is going on. If possible, make arrangements to lighten their load temporarily. And whatever you do, don’t use anything they’ve shared, against them.

Love has been a recurring theme throughout the history of music. Let’s bring it to the professional space and watch the positive ripples throughout. In the words of Paul McCartney and John Lennon, “Love is all you need.”

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